Taking prescription medications for a lengthy period of time can really take a toll on your bank account, so you really need to do all you can to limit your costs in this area — especially if you don’t have great health insurance coverage.

One way to cut costs on prescription meds is to ask your doctor if there’s a generic substitute for the drug in question. Using an over-the-counter example, you can save big money by buying generic store brand ibuprofen instead of name-brand pills like Motrin. The same principle holds true with prescription drugs (and there’s really no need for a brand name anyway).

A second way to save money on prescriptions is to enroll in medicare part d if you qualify. Under this program, you’d pay a monthly premium plus a yearly deductible, and then just a portion of your prescription costs.

The longest I’ve ever been on prescription medication was for three months, and I ended up paying out more than $500 during that time. I can’t imagine having to come up with that kind of money over and over again just to be able to get the medicine I need. I would definitely try to enroll in Medicare Part D instead.